Improvement in breech-eoading fire-arms



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.A J. W. COCHRAN.

Breech Loading Fire Arm.

Patented Janyr4 5, 1869.

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J. W. COCHRAN. Breech Loading Fire Arm.

Patented Jany 5, 1869.

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Letters Patent No. 85,645, (lated January 5, '1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-EOADING- FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in thes'e Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concer-n Be it known that I, J.Wnesrnn COCHRAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breeoh-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,-

reference being had to thev accompanying drawings,

making a portion of this specification, in which- Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section of a breechloadiug fire-arm made according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the prinp cipal portions of the4 same, showing the position ot' the alent, passing through the brace and into or through the breech-piece, in such manner that the said pin or Vbolt serves the double purpose of transmitting the blow ofthe hammer to the tiring-pin, to ignite the charge, and oflocking the brace, and consequently the breechpiece, iirmly in'position, thereby preventing any accidental displacement of the same.

The invention further consists in a novel means, whereby provision is made for the ready detachment or removal, when required, of the breech-piece. from the breech-receiver.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The breech-receiverAprovided behind the barrel Bi,

has placed therein the longitudinally-movable breechpiece B, the forward end ot' which is of the cylindrical form indicated in iig. 5, in order that when brought forward to close the breech, it may iit snugly within the recessed rear end of the bore oi' the barrel.

The breech-piece is stea'ded and prevented from turnl ing on its longitudinal axis by studs a, provided atthe .sides thereof, and titting into grooves b, formed longitudinally in the sides of the breech-receiver.

In order to permit the breech-piece, when required, to

be removed from the breech-receiver, vertical grooves a* are formed within the same, near the rear ends oi' the longitudinal grooves b, and commimicating with the latter 'm such manner that the studs a, being brought below such vertical grooves, may pass up through the same, thus allowing the breech-piece to be liited from the receiver.

In order to prevent such lifting of the breech-piece from accidental causes, a screw, c, is screwed through one side of the breech-receiver, with its inner end'extending inward through one ofthe vertical grooves just mentioned, so that the adjacent stud a cannot pass upward until the screw c is turned outward sui'liciently to`clear the groove.

That part of the breech-piece back of the cylindrical portion just described, is formed on the arc of a circle concentricl with the transverse pivot a which connects the breech-piece with a brace, G, the forward end of which is fitted to the semicircular surface ofthe breechpiece, and having formed therein a small recess, c, into which projects a spur, e", provided upon the breechpiece, and the object of which is to limit the upward or lifting-movement, hereinaiter explained, ofthe brace in opening the breech, and which, at a suitable distance from the joint thus formed, is furnished with the recoilshoulder d. i

The recoil-shoulder d is shaped on the arc of a circle, concentric with the pivot a', and the recoil-bearing 1f, at the rear end of the breech-receiver, is formed on a corresponding arc, to the end that when the breech is closed, the explosionof the charge in tiring may not tend to throw the brace upward from its place, the pivot c being situated at or below the axis of the bore of the barrel.

The rearmost portion of the brace extending back, constitutes atongue, e, which, when the brace is brought downward in closing `the breech, rests upon the strap j', at the upper side of the stock D, andmay be held down by a suitable spring-catch, c.

In order to load the arm, the spring-catch e' is iirst operated to disengage the tongue e, whereupon the -latter is raised until the recoil-shoulder el is brought clear ci' theA recoil-bearing b, and the brace. isl then pulled back, and withdraws the breech-piece from the breech or rear end of the barrel, to Asuch distance as to permit a cartridge to be dropped or inserted in the bree ch-receiverin front ofthe breech-piece, which being done, the brace is pushed forward to bring the breechpiece to its first position, the breech-piece forcing the cartridge into its place in the barrel during such forward movement.

A he brace is then forced downward to bring its recoilshoulder d in front of the recoil-bearing b', and in'thisl position serves to eii'ectually support the breech-piece against the force exerted thereon by the explosion of' the charge.

The tiring-piuE is arrangedlongitudinally within the brace (l, with its forward endextended into a recess, a, provided in the breech-piece, oi such shape as to permit any change which may occur in the position of the Iorward end, just mentioned, of the iiring-pin, the same recess also receiving the bifurcated striker F, situated in front of and in contact with the tiring-pin, which actuates the same to strike the base of the cartridge, to ignite the priming of the same.

rlhe rearmost end oi' the bore in the brace which receives the tiring-pin, is enlarged as shown at b" and formed'in the rear end of the ,breech-receiver, and in line with the firing-pin, when the brace is down in its place, is a bolt or pin, F", placed in a suitable receptacle provided in the part just mentioned of the breechreceiver.

The hammer of the arm is shown at G, and is placed in a suitable cavity, g, formed in the stock, and has its striking-face m situated behind the bolt F, with its thumb-piece n arranged at one side, and extending against any accidental displacement of the breech-piece or brace, which might otherwise occur.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the breech-piece B, the brace C, hinged thereto, the firing-pin E, passing through the brace and entering the breech-piece, the sliding pin or bolt F, passing through the recoil-shoulder, and the hammer, substantially in the manner described, to operate as herein set foltln 2. The arrangement of the screw c, with reference to the longitudinal grooves b, and vertical grooves a* of the breech-receiver, and the studs a of the breechpiece, whereby provision is made for the detachment of the breech-piece, without incurring the liability of accidental displacement, substantially as herein set forth.

J. W. COCHRAN. Witnesses:

J. W Cocinas, A. LE CLERC. 

